Kentucky's General Assembly is on break for a bit after sending more than 100 pieces of proposed legislation to the governor.

Lawmakers stayed late Friday night to wrap up business before heading into the governor's ten day veto period.

As our June LaFleur reports, Republican Supermajorities pass changes to Kentucky's Medicaid program, including bans on gender affirming care for transgender Kentuckians.

This report begins our legislative update.

Kentucky spends billions of dollars on Medicaid.

Republican lawmakers want to rein in that spending with changes made in House Bill 695.

This bill, it's not going to be perfect.

Medicaid's too big for perfection.

There will always be differences of opinion.

There will always be changes in approach.

But this bill ensures that those of us who the people trust to make sure that we care for the vulnerable, have the appropriate knowledge to make sure that it's done in the appropriate way and not abused, but used in the way that we would hope.

House Bill 695 mandates adults without children and without a disability, work at least 20 hours a week, or work with a state job placement agency to maintain their health coverage.

Kentucky has long debated these work requirements, which Democrats oppose.

What we have seen in states that have implemented these work requirements is that thousands of people lose health care not because they're not eligible, not because they're not working, but because they don't fill out the form and they lose their health care coverage.

Their health suffers, and sometimes not all the time.

Sometimes people die.

The follow report from the Kaiser Family Foundation found most Kentucky adults on Medicaid do work.

Republicans carried House Bill 695 in both chambers, sending it to the governor.

Another change to Medicaid.

The program would no longer pay for hormone therapy or gender affirming surgeries for transgender Kentuckians.

Under House Bill 495, the Christian Conservative Family Foundation applauded the bill, saying, quote, it's not possible to change a person's sex.

And government has no place in promoting or subsidizing such madness.

Most Democrats voted against the bill.

There have been no other groups this session that I have heard of.

In my opinion, that have had to fight for freedom of the health care choices.

Then trans people and women.

In this bill, for me, I don't know about anyone else, but I have that family in my mind right now.

And I couldn't live with myself if I went home tonight knowing that I cast the vote.

That would lead to somebodys child not getting life saving health care.

House Bill 495 passed in a final 67 to 19 vote.

The bill also overturns Governor Andy Beshears ban on conversion therapy, which aims to change a person's sexual orientation.

And Republicans advance Senate Bill two to prohibit gender affirming care to state jail or prison inmates, even if they had already been prescribed and taking hormones before being incarcerated.

State officials have testified that 67 transgender Kentucky inmates are taking hormones.

Well, health care within our prison system is necessary.

The funds that we allocate must prioritize the health and safety of incarcerated individuals based on medical necessity.

By continuing to fund such elective procedures, we are diverting valuable taxpayer dollars from other crucial areas areas like education, public health programs, and support for vulnerable communities.

Most Democrats also oppose this bill.

This is embarrassing for Kentucky to see that we are continuing to go after such small populations of individuals who are already vulnerable.

These bills are now on the governor's desk.

The General Assembly will have two days later this month to override any of the governor's vetoes.

For Kentucky edition, I'm June Leffler.